HYDERABAD: The state govt has amended the Telangana Building Rules, 2012, streamlined transferable development rights (TDR) usage and relaxed building parameters under the existing rules. These new regulations are expected to boost real estate activity in Hyderabad and other urban nodes, while also giving builders greater flexibility in their projects.
A significant change brought in by the municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) department in the GO 95 issued on Saturday is about high-rises. It stated that a “high-rise building means a building of 21 metres or above”, excluding non-working components such as chimneys, cooling towers, lift machine rooms and water tanks. The order comes in response to multiple stakeholder requests for rationalisation of TDR usage and the introduction of more adaptable construction parameters.
Govt has updated regulations, allowing buildings between 18m and 21m on plots of 750 square metre (sq m) to 2,000 sq m to be built only through TDR, provided they meet mandatory parking and other requirements.
TDR could now also be used for setback relaxations. Non-high-rise buildings can obtain setback relaxations via TDR while adhering to road-widening norms. High-rises can get up to a 10% setback relaxation through TDR, but must maintain a minimum seven-metre setback on all sides.
In situations where master plan roads were altered or downsized, applicants now have the option to either pay the necessary development or conversion charges or provide equivalent TDR instead of cash payment. This change offers builders a more financially flexible solution.
Norms have been revised for additional floors using TDR in large plots (over 2,000 sq m): Three additional floors on 40-feet roads, four on 60-ft roads, and five on 80-ft roads, with all permissions subject to fire safety and regulatory checks.
For high-rises, buildings between 10 and 20 floors must load 3% TDR on the area above the 10th floor, while those above 20 floors must load 5% beyond the 20th floor. Developers need to submit 50% of the required TDR with building permission applications and the remaining before the occupancy certificate (OC) is issued.
CREDAI welcomes move
Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) Hyderabad has welcomed govt’s decision, stating that it would mark a milestone in rationalising TDR and enhancing the ease of doing business in the real estate sector. The newly notified rules provide much-needed clarity and incentive for sustainable high-rise development across the state, it stated.
“We especially thank the govt for allowing 50% of TDR submission at the time of permission and the remaining prior to OC, which eases the initial capital burden on projects. This GO is a testament to the govt’s commitment to making Telangana a global real estate destination. By integrating TDR into road-widening, master plan modifications, and height relaxations, the state is ensuring a win-win for both urban infrastructure and private development,” CREDAI Hyderabad president N Jaideep Reddy said.
